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Old 03-20-2020, 02:54 PM   #1
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Escape 5.0 owners: What tires do you use on your truck?

Escape 5.0 owners: What truck tires do you use? I purchased new tires mid Nov. 2019. I rarely use my Tundra for daily errands, its primary purpose is to tow the trailer.

Anyway, on this last trip to Tucson and back the passenger side rear tire went flat suddenly on I-10 west bound just outside of Phoenix. (I was able to move two lanes over to the shoulder and change to the spare, but it ruined the tire.) I still don't know why it failed. I brought the bad tire home for evidence for the warranty claim. (It had less than 2,000 miles on it!) And will know more once I bring it in.

The tires were purchased from a regional tire chain here in the NW that does not have any shops in AZ.

Specs: 275/55R-20XL 117T Back City All Terrain tires. Max Load 1,285 LBS.

The only place at the next exit that had Tires in my size that could get s back on the road was Discount Tire. I purchased 2 rear tires just to get us home.

They are BF Goodrich All Terrain K02 tires 275/55R-20XL 7121 Max load 2,680 LBS, They definitely look beefier and have a more aggressive tread than I really need.

Before I talk to the tire store, I though I would tap into the collective wisdom of this forum for your thoughts. Where my first tires undersized for the rigors of the bad AZ highways? I want a good safety margin but don't need an aggressive tread. Thoughts?

Edit: One last data point: I keep my speed to 65 MPH or lower on freeways.
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Old 03-20-2020, 03:11 PM   #2
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I love me the BFG A/T KO2's, even if I'm only offroad a few times a year, they are awesome, and they still run smooth and quiet and high mileage on the highway, great rain traction too.

used them on my Tacoma, and have them on my F250.
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Old 03-20-2020, 03:14 PM   #3
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Hi: arniesea... When the Ram needed new rubbers I bought a set of P 275-60-R 20 Toyo Open Country HT tires. They're a bit firm compared to the Goodyear Wranglers from the factory but IMHO a longer miler. Alf
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Old 03-20-2020, 03:25 PM   #4
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one thing, I totally avoid store and off brand tires.... had way too many sidewall failures, tread separations, etc over the years.

after millions of miles of driving over 45 years, my experience has been that premium tires hold up better to the end. On my european sedans, every time I've tried a cheaper tire, they might be OK when brand new, but when they are 30 or 50% worn, they ride awful, and have terrible wet traction. Michelin Premier on those same cars have good traction and ride until they are bald, and they last 60K+ miles.
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:00 PM   #5
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I agree, name brand is worth the extra cost, no flats in 40 years on tows, one on trailer.
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:16 PM   #6
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Michelin has new "All Weather" truck tire: Cross Climate. We get tons of rain, a little bit of sun and when it snows it comes at the freezing mark and slicker than anything you find in the cold provinces. This tire seems to handle it all very well and is rated for heavy hauling. No complaints yet though it spins a little easier on dry pavement than the OE tires. My OE tires were great in the snow and dry roads, but in the rain they were deadly. Every tire is a compromise somewhere but these Cross Climates seem to hit the high marks for most conditions.
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:33 PM   #7
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No Chinese tires for me , spend a couple bucks and buy american for quality .
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:39 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
I love me the BFG A/T KO2's, even if I'm only offroad a few times a year, they are awesome, and they still run smooth and quiet and high mileage on the highway, great rain traction too.

used them on my Tacoma, and have them on my F250.
Thanks John, My Brother in law who is a long road trucker also has the BFG A/T K02's on is personal pickup so I think I will stay with those. I already have 2 on the rear, just add them to the front.

Now let's see if I can get my money back for the "store" brand tires I bought in Nov.!
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:43 PM   #9
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BFG A/T K02's
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Old 03-20-2020, 04:46 PM   #10
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No Chinese tires for me , spend a couple bucks and buy american for quality .

He typed on his Chinese-made computer, tablet or smart phone...
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Old 03-20-2020, 07:47 PM   #11
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When I had fleet pickups my foreman all liked BF Goodrich tires. We got a government discount and the dealers would often extend it to the employees and most of us ran those tires on our pickups. Those old BF Goodrich Super All traction tires were really diggers and would push show real well. I’ve been away from it since I retired and am buying Michelin’s for vehicles and Goodyear for our Escape when needed. If I had a pickup again, I’d go back to the BF Goodrich tires.
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Old 03-20-2020, 07:53 PM   #12
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I run commercial equipment, you get what you pay for in the long run . If you have a blown out on the road you can easily match BFG replacement better than a cheap offshore tire.
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Old 03-20-2020, 08:46 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arniesea View Post
Escape 5.0 owners: What truck tires do you use? I purchased new tires mid Nov. 2019. I rarely use my Tundra for daily errands, its primary purpose is to tow the trailer.

Anyway, on this last trip to Tucson and back the passenger side rear tire went flat suddenly on I-10 west bound just outside of Phoenix. (I was able to move two lanes over to the shoulder and change to the spare, but it ruined the tire.) I still don't know why it failed. I brought the bad tire home for evidence for the warranty claim. (It had less than 2,000 miles on it!) And will know more once I bring it in.

The tires were purchased from a regional tire chain here in the NW that does not have any shops in AZ.

Specs: 275/55R-20XL 117T Back City All Terrain tires. Max Load 1,285 LBS.

The only place at the next exit that had Tires in my size that could get s back on the road was Discount Tire. I purchased 2 rear tires just to get us home.

They are BF Goodrich All Terrain K02 tires 275/55R-20XL 7121 Max load 2,680 LBS, They definitely look beefier and have a more aggressive tread than I really need.

Before I talk to the tire store, I though I would tap into the collective wisdom of this forum for your thoughts. Where my first tires undersized for the rigors of the bad AZ highways? I want a good safety margin but don't need an aggressive tread. Thoughts?

Edit: One last data point: I keep my speed to 65 MPH or lower on freeways.
Currently just finishing several weeks in Arizona with our 5 TA and Tundra. Third extended trip with our Hankook Dynapro AT-M: 275 65. R 18. Somewhat aggressive and quiet on the highway. My testimonial: I will go out and buy them again when it is time for a new set. Hope this helps.
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Old 03-22-2020, 03:03 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by arniesea View Post
The tires were purchased from a regional tire chain here in the NW that does not have any shops in AZ.

Specs: 275/55R-20XL 117T Back City All Terrain tires. Max Load 1,285 LBS.

The only place at the next exit that had Tires in my size that could get s back on the road was Discount Tire. I purchased 2 rear tires just to get us home.

They are BF Goodrich All Terrain K02 tires 275/55R-20XL 7121 Max load 2,680 LBS, They definitely look beefier and have a more aggressive tread than I really need.
...
Where my first tires undersized for the rigors of the bad AZ highways? I want a good safety margin but don't need an aggressive tread. Thoughts?
If the first tires were inadequate, it wasn't the size... you're just using the size which Toyota supplied, right? 275/55R20 is one of the Tundra's stock sizes.

1,285 pounds would certainly be marginal, if not outright inadequate, for a Tundra... but according to the spec above the load index of the first tires is 117, and that means 2,833 pounds... or 1,2985 kilograms.

The new tires have a different load index, despite being the same size and load range (XL for "extra load"); are you sure that they are XL? The load index is not clear ("7121" doesn't make sense), but a load index of 115 would correspond to 2,679 pounds or 1,215 kilograms. A BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 in that size should be a LT275/55R20 Load Range E, which does have a load index of 115.

The first tires have a load and speed code of "117T", which means a load index of 117 and a speed rating of "T" (118 mph or 190 km/h); the K02's have a load and speed code of "115/112S", which means a load index of 115 in single use (and 112 in dual applications) and a speed index of "S" (112 mph or 180 km/h). So the "more aggressive" tread of the K02 which causes more road noise and higher drag is on a tire which is rated for slightly lower sustained speed. Other than the off brand, unless you go off of paved surfaces to a significant extent the first tires were probably more suitable.

You don't really need to understand much about tire specs if you just use a tire of the same size (275/55R20 in this case) and the same load index as the manufacturer supplied or higher, and those are shown on the label with tire pressures, normally found on the driver's door jamb (but occasionally in the glove compartment).

If you check the Gross Axle Weight Rating (normally shown on the rating placard on the driver's door edge), you can just ensure that the tire is rated for more than half of the axle rating. It looks like the rear axle GAWR might be 4,000 pounds, meaning that each tire should have comfortably more than 2,000 pounds capacity, and the original and new tires both meet that requirement.

If you really want the most durable tire rough roads for that truck, a better choice than any 275/55R20 would be the 275/65R18 or 255/70R18 sizes also offered for the Tundra, in a suitable load range and probably "LT" type. The taller sidewalls (due to the smaller wheel diameter and same overall diameter) are able to absorb more severe bumps.
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Old 03-22-2020, 06:51 AM   #15
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This trend to huge wheels with skinny sidewall tires is a terrible idea for heavy vehicles. /55 tires belong on a Porsche. Truck tires should be /75 or /70.
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Old 03-22-2020, 07:06 AM   #16
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I have nothing but great things to say about Michelin Defender LTX (on 2nd pair) for tow vehicle and Maxxis M8008’s or Goodyear Endurance for the trailer.
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Old 03-22-2020, 09:12 AM   #17
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I have nothing but great things to say about Michelin Defender LTX (on 2nd pair) for tow vehicle and Maxxis M8008’s or Goodyear Endurance for the trailer.
Totally agree.
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Old 03-22-2020, 11:46 AM   #18
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I've been using Cooper Discoverer AT3's on this and my last truck, I've had no reason to look for anything else. Fine for my use on road and off, rain and snow. I've yet to wear a set out so can't comment on longevity, 40k on this set so far.
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Old 03-22-2020, 12:27 PM   #19
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Michelin has new "All Weather" truck tire: Cross Climate. We get tons of rain, a little bit of sun and when it snows it comes at the freezing mark and slicker than anything you find in the cold provinces. This tire seems to handle it all very well and is rated for heavy hauling. No complaints yet though it spins a little easier on dry pavement than the OE tires. My OE tires were great in the snow and dry roads, but in the rain they were deadly. Every tire is a compromise somewhere but these Cross Climates seem to hit the high marks for most conditions.
We put Michelin Cross-Climates on our RAV4 Hybrid last fall and are very impressed with them. The first test was getting out of our driveway, which slopes toward the house for about 100'. The first half was sheer ice and the top half was a foot of wet snow. When the RAV and the Cross Climates handled it in one pass without wheelspin, I was sold on both the tires and the vehicle!

On dry pavement, they make no more noise than an all-season tire, and they resist hydroplaning well in rainstorms. If Michelin makes Cross Climates that will fit the Tundra with which we tow our Escape, I would consider running them year round after my Nokian Hakkapeliittas wear out.
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Old 03-22-2020, 01:57 PM   #20
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tire sidewall height and aspect ratio

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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
This trend to huge wheels with skinny sidewall tires is a terrible idea for heavy vehicles. /55 tires belong on a Porsche. Truck tires should be /75 or /70.
Yes and no. Short sidewalls are bad, but that number (the aspect ratio) is only part of the equation. The actual sidewall height is the aspect ratio multiplied by the width. The 275/55R20 tires on this Tundra are 275 mm wide, so the sidewalls are 151 mm tall (55% of 275 mm), which is the same sidewall height as a 215/70 tire (for any wheel diameter), and nearly identical to the sidewall height of the tires on an Escape. My car has 55 aspect ratio tires, but they're only 205/55R16, so the sidewall is much shorter and obviously inappropriate for a truck.

The two 18-inch sizes for the Tundra, as I mentioned earlier, are 275/65R18 and 255/70R18. The 65 aspect ratio of the first size is not a problem, because the wider width means that the sidewall height is the same (deliberately). The overall diameter of all sizes offered by the factory is nearly the same, so the two-inch-larger 20" wheel means that each sidewall is one inch shorter... not desirable for severe road conditions, but still sufficient for the intended use of the vehicle.

In general, pickup truck tires are much wider than they were decades ago, and as a result have lower aspect ratios. They're also wider than they need to be to carry the load, largely for appearance but also for ride and handling.

For an extreme example, gravel trucks and vocational truck applications with high front axle loads routinely use 425/65R22.5 tires; the great width multiplied by the "low profile" aspect ratio still means taller sidewalls that the classic 11R22.5 size which is probably on the drive axles of the same truck. For more extreme, some heavy trucks use a "wide base" single tire instead of a dual pair of 11R22.5 or 11R24.5 tires on drive axles and trailers; those tires are sized 445/50R22.5... and yes, they still have the traditional sidewall height despite a 50 aspect ratio.
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